My Top Ten: Anime Weapons – #6

#6 Bleach

Kuchiki Byakuya: Senbonzakura

Did you honestly think Bleach wasn’t going to be on this list? Really?

Come with me, children, to a time before I knew of the trainwreck that was Geass, the excellent writing of Baccano!, or even the shitfest that was Naruto, to a simpler time when my anime knowledge was that of less than 20 shows, and for me the greatest anime in the world was simply a boy, his Soul Reaper, and a group of Death Gods that needed TAKING DOWN.

I am, of course talking about Bleach (if you hadn’t seen that from the title) and its Soul Society Arc where the show should have taken a break but animators need moneys so they make shitty filler. But anyway, this isn’t about Bleach, a show which has fallen so far from its former glory that it literally sickens me to think about it, this is about the Soul Reapers within the show. (If you’re wondering why I’m using english names, it’s because there’s no way I’m typing Zanpakutou or Shinigami more than once in this article. Plus I wan’t to seem less of a Weeaboo >.<)

There are thousands of Soul Reapers in Bleach for all types of situations, but the most versatile and FABULOUS of them all has to be Kuchiki Byakuya’s Senbonzakura. It somehow made cherry blossoms awesome, which is a great feat in and of itslef, but take into account the many properties of the weapon and you’ll see why it’s better than so many others out there. Ichigo, you may be the main character, but your abilities are firing blasts of energy and moving like a SPEED DEMONZ. In this list, YOU PHAIL.

Reasons why Senbonzakura and it’s Bankai for rocks:

Byakuya uses it so well and in such a stoic fashion that he, one who could be classified as a borderline-bishounen, somehow manages NOT to look gay. To wield flower petals, made of shards of steel but still lower petals, and not look gay is quite a feat.

It’s beautiful. The rays of light reflecting off the steel make the shards look astounding. Too bad that you’d probably be dead before taking in how stunning it is.

The Senkai form is a multifunctional, free-roaming mass of death. Byakuya doesn’t even have to control it, as it defends and attacks automagically, becoming a shield or sword (albeit not in the shape of a sword. I just didn’t want to say a “flying attacking thingy”) depending on the situation. And when he does, it doubles its speed for PURE PWNAGE.

The Bankai form not only does all of the above and increases the number of shards Byakuya can use, but creates hundreds of individual swords he can use at will, and surrounds his oponent with them so that if he wished (and they were weak enough) he could simply crush and pierce them with hundreds of blades.

Beautiful and deadly at the same time, there’s no doubt in my mind that this weapon belongs on the list.

If you thought it was the only weapon that used something resembling flowers, you’d be wrong. There is also the epic, mind-blowing, mouthwatering, just too freakin’ goddam AWESOME AND COOL:

5 Responses

I still think that prime-period Bleach was classic. The cool of this guy is amazing, especially when Renji takes him on – because that bankai scene is basically “look, Even More Petals” and yet amazingly badass. Good choice.